Jordan Pickford: A history-making night for the keeper as he broke the record he shared with Gordon Banks for the number of consecutive clean sheets, which now stands at eight. Made a smart save to deny David Brooks, but didn’t have much more to trouble him. 6
Ezri Konsa: The Aston Villa defender was moved to right-back as John Stones came into the centre and the absence of the injured Reece James. Konsa looked solid as he has done in the past when playing in that position for England and offered an attacking outlet. Not tested defensively. 6
John Stones: His first match under Thomas Tuchel since he became England manager. Stones stepped into midfield to start attacks and it was an extremely comfortable return to international football after his injury troubles. 6
Marc Guehi: The Crystal Palace defender was his usual composed self at centre-back. Produced a great piece of play to keep the ball in and set up Morgan Rogers for his opening goal. Guehi must be a first-choice defender for England. 7
Djed Spence: Not anything of note to deal with defensively on his first start for England. A good outlet in attack and continues to be a versatile asset. 6
Declan Rice: Captain for the night and lived up to the honour. Bossed the midfield with his running power and dictated the game with his passing. His corners and free-kicks were always quality. 8
Elliot Anderson: Continues to make the number six position his own. Plays with maturity but still only 22. Has a real chance to become a key part of the England team. 7
Morgan Rogers: A favourite of Tuchel and one of the big options as a number 10. A great moment for him to score his first England goal and his powerful running caused Wales problems throughout the match. 8
Bukayo Saka: The Arsenal winger was a constant threat on the right wing – just as he is for his club. He scored the goal of the match with a real moment of quality when he cut in on his left foot and curled a shot into the top corner. 8
Anthony Gordon: Started the match on the left wing and was then moved to striker after Ollie Watkins was withdrawn. He played with his usual energy and pace and contributed to a solid win. 7
Ollie Watkins: A goal for Watkins. He hasn’t played much under Tuchel but the Villa front man took his chance when it came and is the clear backup for captain Harry Kane. But missed another good opportunity and a collision with a post led to injury and a half-time withdrawal. 7
The statement is a blow to R360 organisers whose pitch to players had included the promise that the tournament would be scheduled away from international action, leaving open the possibility of combining the new tournament with their Test careers.
R360 plans to launch in October 2026, offering players hefty contracts and a slimmed-down playing schedule to represent new teams in a series of events in major cities around the world.
Last year, the RFU invested £15m into the women’s game, which returned £8m in revenue. It is hoped that revenue will grow to a cumulative total of £60m over the next five years.
However, an October 2026 inaugural event is likely to clash with the newly launched Global WXV Series in the women’s game.
The Rugby Championship, the southern hemisphere’s premier international event, while expected to take a year off in 2026, often runs into October as well.
A plan to stage future editions of R360 in two blocks – April to June and August to September – would clash with the build-up to the men’s Rugby World Cup in Australia in 2027.
Ratification from World Rugby, which had been R360 organisers’ preference, depends on them finding a way to stage the event around existing specific international windows throughout the year.
With the incentive for doing so now minimal in light of their recruits being banned from the Test game, R360 may be more likely to pursue a rebel approach, proceeding without ratification from the governing body, with its players cut off from the rest of the game.
R360 has planned for such an eventuality, however players would need to be compensated more lavishly to be convinced to take up a place in a divisive breakaway league, while it may also cause potential hosts cities to reconsider.
Player unions have also warned stars to take legal advice before signing any agreements with R360.
The International Rugby Players Association (IRPA), an umbrella group which connects player unions in the United Kingdom, France, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere, has urged players to be cautious, stressing that R360’s full plans are not yet clear.
“Detailed information about the competition remains outstanding and the competition does not currently have World Rugby regulatory approval,” it said.
“Players are encouraged to speak to their player association or, where no player association exists, directly to IRPA or a legal advisor, prior to signing any contract pertaining to the competition.”
R360 is continuing discussions with the IRPA and, while it is keen to have player union support, it is confident it can launch without it.
“Our global series puts players first and we will continue to engage extensively with stakeholders including IRPA,” said an R360 spokesperson.
“We’ve engaged directly with players and their closest advisors. We’re truly excited to launch next year and showcase incredible male and female talent, excite fans and help to grow the game we love.”
Organisers claim R360 will bring in revenues untapped by the current club and provincial game, believing the steep drop in interest between the international game and top-tier domestic competition is a missed opportunity.
Welcome to this week’s Lakers newsletter. It’s been a long time since we’ve been in your inboxes and even longer since I specifically have.
So please allow me to (re)introduce myself: Hi, my name is Thuc Nhi Nguyen.
All things Lakers, all the time.
After spending most of my career covering college sports and, briefly, the Chargers, I’m taking over Lakers beat coverage for The Times. I’m originally from Seattle and divorced from the NBA after 2008, but moving to L.A. for work brought me back in, especially with how the Lakers have such a hold on this city.
Through the twists and turns, I’m smiling through it all and can’t believe this is my life: I get to chronicle what will surely be a (for better or worse) historic Lakers season while joining a legendary legacy of Times beat writers. Let’s make this a fun ride.
First impressions
I am not the only new person around this beat. The Lakers made three key offseason additions that could play major roles this season, and Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia made their unofficial debuts as the preseason started.
Ayton was the biggest signing. After the Trail Blazers bought out Ayton’s contract, the Lakers scooped up the 7-foot center to fill their most glaring position of need. The former No. 1 overall pick hoping to reestablish himself at the top of the league believed his third team would be his “last chance.”
Ayton said after the game he was more focused on the defensive end to send a message to his teammates and coaches that he could be the dominant rim protector they need. He had two blocks.
But coach JJ Redick said the team’s three centers — Ayton, Jaxson Hayes and two-way player Christian Koloko — didn’t use their mobility enough in the first preseason game. The trio is as athletic and mobile as any center group in the league, Redick said. But they didn’t get to the level of the screener when required. Redick is confident the Lakers can iron out the defensive details.
“We’re going to ask a lot of [Ayton] defensively,” Redick said. “And he’s been the anchor of the Finals defense, so he can do it.”
Ayton, who helped the Suns to the NBA Finals in 2021, doesn’t mind being the center of attention: “Pressure is a privilege,” he said multiple times at media day.
LaRavia is feeling a new kind of pressure in his first season as a Laker. The 23-year-old, who was born in Pasadena, previously played in Memphis and Sacramento, but acknowledged that putting on the purple and gold felt different.
When LaRavia was asked if he had an early training camp highlight play, he shrugged. “That’s not really my game,” he said. The humble approach makes him an ideal addition to a team that already has plenty of offensive firepower with LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Redick values the 6-7 LaRavia for his versatility and energy. When Reaves sat out of the second preseason game, putting all three of the team’s top playmakers on the bench, LaRavia suddenly found himself handling the ball much more than anticipated. Redick thought LaRavia looked “sped up” in the role. He had two turnovers. Redick anticipates that LaRavia will initiate the offense occasionally, but it won’t be his primary responsibility. The brief preseason experience in the unique situation will still serve LaRavia well going forward.
“It’s obviously going to be different when Luka and LeBron and AR are all in the lineup and I’m throwing it to them,” said LaRavia, who had 10 points and three assists Sunday against Golden State. “It’ll be more of me being that spacer rather than being on-ball and being the connecting piece. But either way, I’m comfortable doing both things.”
Guard Marcus Smart, one of the other big-name offseason additions, has yet to appear in the first two preseason games. He is battling Achilles tendinopathy.
Second impressions
Lakers coach JJ Redick.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
In his first time as a head coach, Redick navigated a chaotic year both professionally and personally. Redick lost his home in the devastating wildfires. A month later, the Lakers traded for Doncic. They surged to the No. 3 seed in the West, but lost to Minnesota and Redick was criticized for playing the same five-player lineup for an entire half. He acknowledged after the year that he could “get a lot better.”
How Redick, the long-time player, continues to grow into Redick, an up-and-coming NBA coach, is a storyline I’m interested to follow this year.
Redick has already established good will among the organization. He was awarded a contract extension ahead of training camp, building on the four-year deal he signed last year. Extending a rookie head coach after one year and a first-round playoff exit felt like a surprising move, but for an organization that could be in for major changes soon (read: James in the final year of his contract) locking in a head coach at least gives the impression of stability.
One important person who figures to be a mainstay for years to come approved.
“It was great to work with JJ,” Doncic said at media day. “Hopefully we can work till the end of my career.”
Favorite thing I ate this week
Left: banh beo, steamed rice cakes with shrimp and mung bean. Right: bun bo Hue, spicy beef noodle soup, a specialty from Hue, a city in Central Vietnam.
(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)
There is one thing I like talking about more than sports. Food. Welcome to a sliver of the life of a sports reporter.
Before Sunday’s preseason game in San Francisco, I channeled my Vietnamese roots for lunch at Tuyet Mai. My family is from Hue, Vietnam, which was the former imperial capital of the country and is known for its royal cuisine. The restaurant owners recognized my Hue accent immediately when I ordered two Hue classics: bun bo Hue and banh beo. Of Hue’s regional dishes, my favorite is banh beo: a steamed rice cake topped with shrimp, mung bean and pork. I can almost never pass it up when I see it on a restaurant menu. But my mom’s is still the best.
Got food recs in an NBA city near you? Send them to me as I explore the league for the first time. I don’t eat sliced tomatoes in sandwiches or sushi in land-locked states. Everything else is fair game.
Your basketball takes are welcome! What are you most curious about this Lakers season? What can I find out for you? Slide into the inbox: [email protected], and please consider subscribing if you like our work!
ARSENAL make the trip up to the North East to take on Newcastle on Super Sunday.
Both sides are wearing black armbands at St James’ Park in memory of former Gunners academy striker Billy Vigar.
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Arsenal and Newcastle are wearing black armbands in tribute to former academy star Billy VigarCredit: Getty
Why are Arsenal and Newcastle players wearing black armbands?
Arsenal and Newcastle players are wearing black armbands this afternoon in tribute to the late Billy Vigar.
The 21-year-old died following a horrific brain injury suffered when he tragically hit his head during a match while playing for Chichester City at Wingate & Finchley last Saturday.
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Billy Vigar came through the Arsenal academyCredit: Getty
Vigar received lengthy treatment on the pitch after hitting his head before being airlifted to the hospital and placed in an induced coma.
He then underwent surgery but tragically died from his injuries on Thursday.
Vigar joined the Gunners academy at the age of 14 and went on to represent the North London outfit at under-18 level, in Premier League 2 and the EFL Trophy.
Arsenal released the following statement regarding Vigar’s death: “Everyone at Arsenal is devastated by the shocking news that former academy graduate Billy Vigar has passed away.
“All our thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this time.
“Rest in peace, Billy.”
Last Saturday’s awful incident at Wingate & Finchley’s Maurice Rebak Stadium has sparked calls for brick walls surrounding football pitches to be outlawed in the UK.
A petition has gathered more than 12,000 signatures, with the FA confirming on Friday that they are launching a review.
The lack of incisiveness in Martin’s team is remarkable for a set of players put together for a relative king’s ransom.
We’re told that Rangers’ net spend this summer has been £21m, including transfer fees and loan payments. You could put a dot between the 2 and the 1 and still wonder if they’ve got value.
They had Youssef Chermiti up front, a 21-year-old brought in from Everton at a cost of £8m.
It’s easy to bash the young striker, but he didn’t lack hunger or work-rate. What he lacked was a modicum of a chance, a sniff at goal. Just one.
The life of a Rangers centre-forward is a lonely existence right now. Isolated and joyless. They’re on their own up there. Sink or sink would appear to be the range of their options.
Diomande’s moment of madness was the last thing Martin needed, but it was Martin who picked him and it was Martin who picked others who struggled to make passes.
It was Martin, again, whose management of this team produced very little threat while giving up big chances even when it was 11 versus 11.
His midfielder let him down on Thursday, and on other days and nights it was others who let him down, didn’t show enough leadership, failed to make a difference.
The cast of characters on that front is long and thunderously unimpressive.
Martin gets filleted but the Rangers players can’t escape censure here. A lot of this mess is down to the manager, but not all of it.
He said the red changed the game and he was correct, but there’s always something – players being anxious, a red card, a penalty not given, another decision given in error. There’s a fatalism about all of this.
And on Sunday they have a trip to Livingston. Plastic pitch, canny manager, physical team motivated to the high heavens. A gauntlet awaits this meek Rangers outfit.
BRYAN ROBSON has told Manchester United chiefs to back Ruben Amorim for the long haul and slammed the club’s recent history of signing flops.
The United legend says the revolving door of managers since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013 has wrecked any chance of stability, and insists under-fire former Sporting Lisbon boss must be given at least THREE years to fix the mess.
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Robson moved to United for a British record transfer fee of £1.5 million in 1981Credit: Getty
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Robson has backed Amorim to get things right at UnitedCredit: AFP
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Manchester United stars are under-performing despite Amorim being in charge for the last eight monthsCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
Speaking to The Telegraph, Robson said: “We’ve changed managers that many times since 2013.
“I feel you have to stick and say, ‘No, we are not sacking the manager. We are not blaming.’
“When you have a little bit of money and the club are going to allow you to change your squad, you need three years to get the team right.
“For me, three years at Manchester United should be enough.”
Amorim, 40, has had a disastrous start to life as United boss, winning just eight of his first 31 games.
But Robson is urging the board to give him more time, despite fans on social media calling for his sacking.
Robson didn’t hold back when reflecting on the transfer blunders of the Ed Woodward era, suggesting too many signings simply weren’t up to scratch.
He fumed: “Look at the money we spend. It’s up to you to go around the world and get top players who are going to improve you.”
“I think five years ago some of the players we bought were just not good enough to be Manchester United players. It’s an accumulation of that.”
And Robbo, who captained United through some of their most hard-fought years, believes the club lost its way by ignoring experienced Premier League stars in favour of flashy foreign names.
How Arsenal can beat Man City by exposing Rodri issue
“The other thing I think we went away from is getting good, experienced Premier League players.
“So when they get to 28, you bring them on board if you can. There have been loads of players who have left clubs.”
And his message to United’s decision-makers couldn’t be clearer.
He added: “When I was in management, I believed that if you bought average players, you got an average team.”
The Southern Section announced on Friday that it has declared 19 transfer students at Bishop Montgomery athletically ineligible for two years following an investigation that determined they violated CIF bylaws when moving to the Catholic school in Torrance to play football.
The announcement comes after the school fired its coach, Ed Hodgkiss, canceled the rest of its season after playing one game and announced the resignation of President Patrick Lee following an investigation by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
The Southern Section released the following statement: “Based upon the investigation, self-reporting, and findings of Bishop Montgomery High School, along with CIF-Southern Section’s own independent review, the Southern Section has determined that multiple students transferred to Bishop Montgomery High School to play varsity football for the 2025-2026 school year in violation of CIF bylaws.
“Notification has been sent to Bishop Montgomery High School administrators and parents/guardians of the football transfer student-athletes. Those determinations [have been/will be] posted on the CIF-Southern Section website in conformance with Section practices. The CIF-Southern Section and its staff will not comment on individual student athletic eligibility.”
The Southern Section previously announced ineligibility for five players. After further investigation, there are 19 players listed as ineligible on the Southern Section transfer portal.
Some of those players were expected to try to transfer to other schools after Bishop Montgomery discontinued varsity football. They are listed as ineligible for two years. Those players can appeal to try to restore their eligibility.
For months in the spring and summer, Bishop Montgomery had been touting its transfers. The school scheduled powerhouse Mater Dei for a nonleague game even though its program was primarily Division 10 or 11 in past years. While transfers were checking in, none of the paperwork was submitted to the Southern Section until August. That’s when trouble began.
This year, the Southern Section has been using AI and possibly funds available through the state CIF to hire investigators to double-check transfers submitted by schools. Previously when a school approved a verified change of address, it was mostly automatically accepted. There have been other schools determined to have ineligible players, with Long Beach Millikan having to forfeit two games.
This comes after a booster to Narbonne, St. Bernard and Bishop Montgomery, Brett Steigh, received a letter from an attorney with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles telling him to “cease and desist” from helping any Catholic schools.
Steigh went on a podcast to say he paid parents to transfer their sons to Narbonne in 2024 and he also helped pay tuition of football players at St. Bernard in 2020. The football program was dropped there in 2021, 2022 and 2023 after the head coach resigned in the middle of an FBI and IRS investigation.
The WRPA has followed that by encouraging the Union to come up with another plan.
“We feel it is important at this stage of the consultation that the strength of feeling among players is visible to all stakeholders and the wider rugby community,” said Lewis.
“With continued interest from the media and supporters, we want to ensure the players’ voice is clearly understood and contributes constructively to the ongoing discussions about the future of our game.
“Looking forward, players believe the future of Welsh rugby must be built on a model that protects playing opportunities, nurtures pathways, preserves identity, and strengthens the game for generations to come.
“We recognise the WRU’s position that all options remain under consideration until the consultation with every stakeholder has been completed.
“The WRPA will continue to engage openly and constructively, working alongside the WRU, clubs, and wider rugby community to help shape a sustainable and successful future for Welsh rugby.”
Sept. 7 (UPI) — Two lucky ticket holders in Missouri and Texas won the massive $1.8 billion Powerball jackpot after Saturday’s drawing, lottery officials announced Sunday.
The winning numbers from Saturday’s drawing were white balls 11, 23, 44, 61, 62, and red Powerball 17 with a Power Play multiplier of 2, the Multi-State Lottery Association said in a statement.
It was the second-largest prize since the game began in 1992 and will be split by the two ticket holders. The largest U.S. lottery jackpot ever was the world-record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot won in California on Nov. 7, 2022.
“Congratulations to our newest Powerball jackpot winners and the Missouri Lottery and Texas Lottery for selling the winning tickets,” said Matt Strawn, Powerball Product Group Chair and chief executive of the Iowa Lottery.
Nearly 10 million other players won smaller prizes after Saturday’s drawing, including 18 winners of the $1 million prize for matching all five white balls with two of those increasing their winnings to $2 million by selecting the Power Play add-on.
The Saturday Powerball pull was the 42nd drawing since the most recent jackpot was won in California in May, ending the longest run in the game’s history without a jackpot winner. Now, the Powerball jackpot resets down to a $20 million prize.
The overall odds of winning a prize remain 1 in 24.9. The odds of winning the jackpot remain 1 in 292.2 million.
Funds raised from lotteries like Powerball often go toward state education departments for funding programs like the arts or to vocational programs and responsible gambling initiatives.
But Powerball is not without its critics who have raised concerns about gambling addiction or criticized lotteries, including Powerball, for disproportionately burden lower-income and minority communities while essentially functioning as a regressive form of taxation.
One of the most thrilling and unexpected moments in the tennis world in recent weeks was headlined by a Latina.
On Aug. 25, during the first round of the U.S. Open women’s singles tournament, U.S. player Madison Keys — who went into the competition ranked sixth in the world and had previously won the 2025 Australian Open — was defeated by Mexico’s Renata Zarazúa after three neck-and-neck sets.
The Mexican native, who is ranked 82nd in the world, previously had an 0-6 record against opponents ranked in the top 10.
After the over-three-hour match, Zarazúa revealed that she was so nervous before playing Keys that she was nearly in tears — but that she felt dialed in as the first game began.
“I’m a little bit small in height, so coming in here, it was like: ‘Oh, my God. This is huge!’ But I was just trying to focus on the court,” said Zarazúa, who stands 5 feet 3 inches tall. “I just tried to find my way and enjoy it, because I knew that when I retire, I’m going to be really happy about it.”
By securing this win, Zarazúa became the first Mexican player to defeat a top 10 seed at a major since Angélica Gavaldón upset No. 3 player Jana Novotná in the 1995 Australian Open.
When she was done with post-match obligations, Zarazúa noticed her phone was blowing up with messages and mentions online.
“It was funny because it was the first time I got a lot of followers in a few hours,” she told The Times in a Zoom interview. “It was hard at the moment, because I didn’t want to distract myself too much with social media. So I just left it until the tournament was over, and now I’m just looking at the messages and all of that. The attention was a bit more than I expected. Singers and actors and actually [reached out] and I was like, ‘Oh, this is cool.’”
Mexican actor Eiza González was one of the stars whose message surprised Zarazúa; she admitted she is a big fan of the “Baby Driver” star. She also noted that notable brands like Evian and sports networks like ESPN and Televisa also contacted her following her first-round win.
But Zarazúa didn’t let the spotlight affect her preparation for her second-round singles match against France’s Diane Parry.
“I honestly kept my routines going exactly the same. Even though the chaos was going on, the next day [my team and I] were back on the courts at 9 a.m. practicing, because that’s how I was preparing before my first round,” she said. “I didn’t really celebrate because I don’t think it was the right time. I literally stayed in my room, had dinner and went to bed early.”
During her second singles match on Aug. 28, she began to feel the weight of expectations as a sizable Mexican crowd cheered her on.
“I felt like I just couldn’t shake the nerves off. I just didn’t want to let the people down,” Zarazúa said. “At some point during the match I realized I should be doing this for me. I should be winning for me and not to please people. That’s what helped me settle the nerves and when I started playing better.”
Zarazúa ultimately exited the tournament after losing to Parry in a three-set match that ended in a super tiebreak.
“My mind started overthinking a little bit more than I should have, but I think that will help me as an experience for the next matches that I’m in that situation,” she said. “I’ve never felt that much support from the people. It was one of those days that you will remember forever, but it was also really heartbreaking.”
Zarazúa was also eliminated in the second round of women’s doubles play on Sunday alongside her partner Miyu Kato, after losing to the duo of Wu Fang-Hsien and Fanny Stollár.
When asked what it felt like to be the face of Mexican tennis, Zarazúa said she doesn’t feel burdened by the title.
“For me it’s more of a motivation, actually, because I’m a little bit older in the tennis world. I’m 27, so sometimes you really need that push to keep you going or something to look forward to,” she said. “For me to be that face of Mexico is what keeps me alive. Honestly, I don’t take it as an extra pressure on myself.”
Over on the women’s doubles side of the bracket, perennial star Venus Williams staged her comeback after a 16-month hiatus alongside 22-year-old Canadian Leylah Fernandez.
There is an over two-decade age gap between Williams and Fernandez (who has Ecuadorean and Filipino heritage). Yet their chemistry on the court did not point to that being a struggle.
The duo was a late wild-card entry into the tournament, and handily defeated its first three opponents without dropping a set.
“I feel like we kind of don’t really need to say much on court, and it just kind of flows,” Fernandez said after one of the pair’s wins last week. “That’s what I like, that we don’t need to talk as much, plan so many things. When I cross, I know Venus is behind me moving to the other corner; when she crosses, I’m going to go to the other corner. Just kind of like a nice harmony dynamic.”
Williams added, “I think we have a very similar mindset, similar attitude. So I think we’re on this wavelength that makes it easy for us to really move in the same direction.”
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But this isn’t the first time that Fernandez has found success on the U.S. Open stage. In 2021, she made it to the women’s singles final of the tournament as an unseeded player before losing to fellow tennis youngster Emma Raducanu in straight sets. Their match was the first U.S. Open women’s singles final between two teenagers since 1999. En route to the final, Fernandez beat marquee players like Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber and Aryna Sabalenka.
Williams and Fernandez’s underdog run came to an end Tuesday in a straight-sets loss to the top-seeded duo of Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova in the quarterfinals.
Following the loss, Fernandez thanked Williams for reminding her why she decided to play tennis.
“It’s just been an incredible week and a half being here and learning so much from from Venus. I’m just kind of like a sponge, so I’m just sucking everything in and learning,” Fernandez said in a post-match interview Tuesday. “Venus playing on the court, for joy, brought me back [to] why I started playing tennis … I started playing tennis for the love of the game and for bringing joy on court, not only for myself, but also for the fans.”
Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia entered the U.S. Open as the top-ranked active Latina player in the tournament. The 29-year-old São Paulo native advanced to the women’s singles round of 16 before being bested by American Amanda Anisimova. Haddad Maia and her doubles partner, Laura Siegemund, were eliminated from the women’s doubles bracket in the second round by Marta Kostyuk and Elena-Gabriela Ruse.
Three Colombianas also made an appearance at the U.S. Open earlier in the tournament.
Camila Osorio lost her first-round singles match against New Zealand’s Lulu Sun in three sets. The 23-year-old player also reached the women’s doubles round of 16 with her partner Yue Yuan, where they lost to Townsend and Siniakova.
Emiliana Arango ran into Iga Swiatek, the second-ranked player in the world and 2025 Wimbledon singles champion, in the first round of the women’s singles tournament. The 24-year-old Arango was defeated by Swiatek in her U.S. Open debut.
Julieta Pareja was also making her U.S. Open debut on both the singles and doubles brackets. At 16, she was the youngest player at this year’s tournament. Pareja was eliminated in the first round of singles play by 9th-ranked Elena Rybakina. She and her doubles partner Akasha Urhobo were ousted in the first round by Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan.
It was ICE’s first major event since $170 billion was earmarked for border and immigration enforcement in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was signed into law on July 4. Included in the legislation was tens of billions for new deportation agents and other personnel.
According to ICE, 3,000 people attended the expo, and nearly 700 received tentative job offers. This adds on to the more than 100,000 applications that the Department of Homeland Security claims to have received in recent weeks.
The agency has tried to sweeten the deal with incentives such as bonuses of up to $50,000 and student loan repayment benefits, in an effort to hire 10,000 deportation officers by the end of the year.
As aspiring ICE agents created a line out the doors of the career expo, a group of about 30 protesters yelled “Go home Nazis,” among other things, at expo attendees.
Of particular note was the sizable Latinx representation among the ICE agent hopefuls.
An interaction that Mejia captured between one young Latinx man named Ricardo with his friend over text captured the tension of communal versus personal goals.
“Oh hell no Ricardo I thought you was joking. I will not speak to you ever again if you become and ice agent … You have a dad who was deported dude.”
ICE officials say it’s the first of several hiring events planned around the country. According to the ICE website, there is a DHS expo scheduled for Sept. 15 and 16 in Provo, Utah.
There’s already two games in the books for some high school football players, so let’s take a look at the impressive two-game statistical performances.
Quarterback Deshawn Laporte of Burbank has nine touchdown passes with one interception. Ditto for quarterback Cooper Berry of Maranatha. Quarterback Caden Jones of Crean Lutheran has passed for 601 yards with five touchdowns and one interception.
Quentin Pacelli of Garden Grove is averaging 11.2 yards per carry with 584 yards rushing and seven touchdowns.
Blake Wong of Norco has six touchdown receptions among his 18 catches. Mahseiah Banks of La Palma Kennedy has caught eight touchdowns.
Kane Casani of Loyola has been credited with 31 tackles in two games. Samu Moala of Leuzinger has 5 1/2 sacks with Khary Wilder of Gardena Serra has five sacks. King Butler of Norte Vista has four interceptions. Ernest Nunley of Western and Tareq Abdul of L.A. University have three interceptions.
Aaron Rivera of El Monte is five of six on field-goals attempts. Parker Wilson of San Marino has six punts with a 49.7-yard average.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].
The top men’s cricket teams in Asia will come together after two years to compete in the Asian Cricket Council’s (ACC) T20 Asia Cup 2025 from Tuesday.
Several new captains will be leading their charges with world T20 champions and Asia Cup holders India to be led by Suryakumar Yadav, while Charith Asalanka will be at the helm of 2023 runners-up Sri Lanka.
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Here’s what you need to know about the teams and their full squads for the tournament:
Which teams are playing in the Asia Cup 2025?
In addition to the five permanent members of the ACC – India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan – three other teams have qualified for the 2025 edition: Hong Kong, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. They are divided into two groups of four each:
Group A: India, Pakistan, Oman, UAE Group B: Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Hong Kong
Will Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma play in the Asia Cup 2025?
No. The two former India captains announced their retirements after leading their team to their second T20 World Cup title in the West Indies in 2024. It was Kohli’s first T20 world title, while Rohit lifted the trophy for the second time, having been part of India’s triumphant side at the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 in South Africa.
Suryakumar took over the T20 captaincy reins from Rohit in August 2024, while the likes of Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill have replaced both top-order batters.
India will defend their Asia Cup title without superstars Virat Kohli, left, and Rohit Sharma, who have retired from T20 cricket [File: Chandan Khanna/AFP]
Who is Pakistan’s captain at Asia Cup 2025?
The revolving-door nature of Pakistan cricket means the captain’s hat changes hands – or heads – fairly quickly.
Batting star Babar Azam had the role given and taken from him twice in the space of 11 months in 2023-24, while Mohammad Rizwan held the role for five months.
The incumbent, Salman Ali Agha, took over in March and has since led Pakistan to two series wins and one series loss.
He will continue in the leadership role at the Asia Cup.
Will Wanindu Hasaranga play in the Asia Cup 2025?
Yes, the Sri Lankan leg-spin bowling all-rounder has been declared fit for the tournament following his recovery from a hamstring injury. The 28-year-old missed out on the 2023 edition at home and will be keen to make an impact as Sri Lanka seek a seventh Asia Cup title.
Yasim Murtaza (captain), Babar Hayat, Zeeshan Ali (wicketkeeper), Nizakat Khan Mohammad, Nasrulla Rana, Martin Coetzee, Anshuman Rath, Kalhan Marc Challu, Ayush Ashish Shukla, Mohammad Aizaz Khan, Ateeq ul Rehman Iqbal, Kinchit Shah (wicketkeeper), Adil Mehmood, Haroon Arshad Mohammad, Ali Hassan, Shahid Wasif (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Ghazanfar, Mohammad Waheed, Anas Khan, Ehsan Khan.
Salman Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem.
Muhammad Waseem (capt), Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Asif Khan, Dhruv Parashar, Ethan D’Souza, Haider Ali, Harshit Kaushik, Junaid Siddique, Matiullah Khan, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Zohaib, Rahul Chopra (wicketkeeper), Rohid Khan, Simranjeet Singh and Saghir Khan.
The Chargers gave up the fewest points in the NFL last season (301) and will need that kind of stout performance again to get a firm foothold in the AFC West.
They will be tested right away, as they open in Brazil against the AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs — a team the Chargers haven’t beaten since 2021 — then face Las Vegas and Denver in the following two weeks. All three division opponents in a row.
Coach Jim Harbaugh was especially pleased with his defense after it notched a strip sack and made a goal-line stand in a preseason victory over New Orleans.
“They just played with a lot of want-to and I’m thrilled with that,” Harbaugh told reporters. “I love guys that play like they want to be on this team. They want to show that they belong. That’s the way they practice and that’s the way they go out and play in the game. That warms the cockles of the heart.”
The defense is transitioning from a familiar fixture. Although his production had tailed off the past few years, Joey Bosa was a stalwart for this team since 2016, predating the club’s move to Los Angeles. The five-time Pro Bowl defensive end signed a one-year deal with Buffalo in March. The Chargers have moved on.
The leader up front is Khalil Mack, who is entering his 12th season and pointed to Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz in explaining why he decided to re-sign with the franchise this offseason.
“Why not here?” Mack asked reporters. “Got tremendous leadership here. … Knowing what Coach Harbaugh is building and what Joe is building, that was a no-brainer.”
It might be an outlier, as he’s typically in single digits for the season, but Mack had 17 sacks in 2023.
Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack will once again be at the forefront of the team’s pass-rushing effort.
(Peter Aiken / Associated Press)
A promising disruptor off the edge is former USC standout Tuli Tuipulotu, who had 8½ sacks last season.
“My standard is to play Khalil,” he told reporters of entering his third season. “He is the standard, that’s what I’m chasing.”
Another seasoned veteran in the rotation is Bud Dupree, who played in all 18 games last season and was tied for second with six sacks. The 11-year veteran re-signed with the team this summer.
A youth infusion could come from outside linebackers Caleb Murphy, in his second season, and rookie Kyle Kennard, who was SEC Defensive Player of the Year at South Carolina last season.
Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh congratulates defensive tackle Teair Tart after a win over the Raiders in September 2024.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Moving to the interior of the defensive line, the Chargers leaned on Teair Tart and Otito Ogbonnia last season, and in an effort to get deeper and similarly athletic at the position, signed veterans Naquan Jones and Da’Shawn Hand.
Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter has praised Ogbonnia’s improved footwork and counter moves in camp.
Jones played with Tennessee and Arizona over the past four seasons and adds depth to the rotation along with Hand, who played with Detroit, Tennessee and Miami during the past six years.
A player to watch is 340-pound rookie Jamaree Caldwell, who is coming off a strong showing at camp.
Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley could be primed for a breakout season.
(Denis Poroy / Associated Press)
Backing up that defensive front in the middle is Denzel Perryman, the veteran of the linebacker group. He’s in his second stint with the Chargers after brief stays with the Las Vegas Raiders and Houston Texans. He was arrested on a felony weapons charge during training camp, although no criminal charges have been filed in the case.
Among the defenders to watch is Daiyan Henley, a third-year linebacker who had 147 tackles last season, 10½ of those behind the line of scrimmage.
Harbaugh called him “a shining star… ascending to be a superstar.”
Rookie Marlowe Wax was spectacular in the preseason finale against San Francisco, making key tackles all over the place, so it will be worth watching whether he can continue that production when it counts.
The Chargers didn’t break the bank in free agency, but they did open their wallet wide for cornerback Donte Jackson, who had five interceptions for Pittsburgh last season after spending six years with Carolina.
Second-year corners Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still were pressed into duty last season and join Jackson as starters, with Still on the third receiver. There’s going to be a lot of passing in the AFC West with opposing quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes, Bo Nix and Geno Smith lurking.
The Chargers had 15 interceptions last season, almost one per game, putting them in the top quarter of the league.
Minter said during camp that he considers corner Benjamin St-Juste a “fourth starter.”
A young corner to watch is Nikko Reed, who had a pick-six in the Hall of Fame Game and consistently made big plays throughout camp.
“Derwin James told me Reed is a baller,” Harbaugh said. “I’m now agreeing with that statement.”
As for James, he rivals quarterback Justin Herbert as the best player on the roster.
Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. will once again be the biggest force in the secondary this season.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
“I know when Derwin’s there, he’s going to be a wrecker,” Still told reporters. “It’s kind of like, he’s on the side of me and I got to know how he’s going to fit the run, what is he going to do in pass, if I can help him or how I can protect him, how he can protect me.”
Put bluntly by Jackson, intending this as a compliment: “I think DJ’s brain is a football. Literally, you open his head there’s probably a football in there.”
The Chargers line up James all over the defense.
Penciled in to start at free safety is Alohi Gilman, who is entering the final year of his contract. Elijah Molden and rookie R.J. Mickens figure to make significant contributions.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca thinks Cole Palmer’s injury is “not random” and is concerned about the lingering effects of winning the Fifa Club World Cup.
The 23-year-old forward has been ruled out of Saturday’s Premier League match at home to Fulham.
Palmer’s injury has been linked to an unprecedented 12-month season where his team played 64 matches, including the expanded Club World Cup tournament in July.
After beating Paris St-Germain in New Jersey on July 13, and having less than two weeks to prepare for the current campaign, Chelsea had their shortest ever gap between seasons. This included the 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns, which were impacted by the Covid pandemic.
When asked about Palmer’s absence, Maresca said: “I don’t think that it is random that our three players with the most minutes last year were Levi [Colwill], Cole and Moi [Caicedo].
“Levi is injured, Cole too and Moi today only had his first training session since the West Ham game.
“It is not random, it is the amount of games. Look at [Manchester] City last year, they lost Rodri after two or three games. He was a player that had the most minutes for them.
“We are going to have problems this season for sure because of last season. But It’s about how we can adapt and get players to recover.”
England defender Colwill started 35 of Chelsea’s 38 league matches last season but is expected to be out for the majority of the season after knee surgery.
Meanwhile, Caicedo is now a doubt for the visit of Fulham, having been Chelsea’s only player to start every league match last season.
Palmer, who pulled out of last week’s win at West Ham with a niggle in the warm-up, was also a near ever-present in the previous campaign.
Maresca added: “I have said that with Cole we are much better with him than without him. But if he has some problems we need to give him the right time to recover.
“It doesn’t matter if Estevao [Willian] is there or not, we can’t tell Cole he can relax, we need Cole back at 100%.”
Fifpro president Sergio Marchi claimed Fifa “chose to continue increasing its revenue at the expense of the players’ bodies and health” in July after Chelsea’s 3-0 victory over PSG to end the tournament in the United States.
From Benjamin Royer: Venice Beach carried all the traits of a party Sunday evening: 90s R&B tunes from DJs, social influencers — with tripods in tow — showing up to get a view of the basketball courts to find out what the fuss was all about and enough flashing lights to grab any European tourist’s attention.
Much of what you would have found during Legends Weekend in Venice — celebrating 20 years of basketball culture and community — had the classic hallmarks of the antics found on the boardwalks, down to the crowds surrounding performers such as “2K The Clown” and his posse dancing in clown makeup at the half-court logo as the blue and orange sunset faded from day to night.
Marcus Henry spins the golden ball he received after winning the three-point contest at the Veniceball’s 20th annual “Legends Weekend” at Venice Beach on Sunday. At the center of all the madness, a weekend honoring Kobe Bryant — who once broke his wrist in 2000 attempting a dunk at the courts — and many other late street-ball icons who made their impact on the boardwalk was Nick Ansom. Ansom, who rollerskated up and down the basketball court with a plastic orange top hat atop his head, is the founder and chief executive officer of Veniceball.
Ask the legends — who have been playing physical, hard-nosed basketball on the courts for half a century — or up-and-coming basketball players who have made Venice their own with their slick style on the courts, Ansom is the heart and soul of modern-day Venice basketball, the man who’s kept the mission — of basketball and family — moving and growing year by year.
“This is the goodness of people right here,” Ansom said, before the finals of the Venice Basketball League kicked off on Sunday night. “Look where we are. We’re a legendary place, the most iconic basketball courts in the world. I call it the hoopers’ paradise.”
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DODGERS
From Kevin Baxter: The Dodgers continued their season-long celebration of last year’s World Series triumph by handing out championship rings Monday. The 49,702 people who brought tickets got replicas while Gavin Lux, who played for the Dodgers last season and is now with the Cincinnati Reds, got a real one.
If the team hopes to win more jewelry again this fall, the next five weeks will be key. Because after Monday’s 7-0 win over the Reds, the Dodgers lead the Padres by a game in the National League West with 30 left in the regular season for both teams.
And if the Dodgers (75-57) continue to play as they did Monday, when Andy Pages homered twice, driving in four runs, and Emmet Sheehan threw a career-high seven scoreless innings, they’ll be tough to catch.
The Reds nearly went ahead in the second after Lux doubled to the wall in right-center with one out. But Michael Conforto took extra bases away from Spencer Steer with a leaping catch in left field and Teoscar Hernández made a running catch of Ke’Bryan Hayes’ drive to the foul pole in the right-field corner to end the inning.
Zach Neto homered on the game’s first pitch and the Angels, with manager Ron Washington present for the first time in more than two months, beat the Texas Rangers and All-Star pitcher Jacob deGrom 4-0 on Monday night.
José Soriano (9-9) struck out six over 5⅓ innings and gave up four hits in his first start since coming off the paternity list. Four relievers finished off the Angels’ sixth shutout this season.
Washington hasn’t managed the Angels since June 19, and revealed before the game that he is recovering from quadruple bypass heart surgery eight weeks ago. He won’t return to managing this season, but wants to be with the Angels, and watched from a booth upstairs after being with them pregame.
From Gary Klein: Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford appears on track to start the season opener against the Houston Texans — and now perhaps his primary protector will join him in the preparation.
Left tackle Alaric Jackson, who has been sidelined because of blood-clot issues in his legs, will participate in full-team drills for the first time next week, coach Sean McVay said Monday.
“We’ve got a good plan in place,” McVay said.
Jackson, 27, signed a three-year, $35-million extension in March. But in June, he was diagnosed with blood-clot issues for the second time in his career, and the Rams hurriedly signed veteran tackle D.J. Humphries.
That Venus Williams lost her first Grand Slam match in two years — and what she says will be her last match of 2025 — didn’t really matter Monday night.
Certainly not to the thousands of supportive spectators in the Arthur Ashe Stadium seats who roared for her best shots and, in a way, for everything her career means to them, before sending her off the court with a standing ovation after a 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 defeat against 11th-seeded Karolina Muchova at the U.S. Open.
The result also sure seemed beside the point to Williams herself, at 45 the oldest singles player at Flushing Meadows since 1981. She smiled and laughed and joked through her postmatch news conference — until, that is, a reporter asked something that made her think back to all of the injury and illness issues she dealt with for years.
“Oh, what did I prove to myself?” Williams began, repeating part of the question. “I think for me, getting back on the court was about giving myself a chance to play more healthy. When you play unhealthy, it’s in your mind. It’s not just how you feel. You get stuck in your mind too. So it was nice to be freer.”
1933 — Helen Hull Jacobs captures the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association singles title when Helen Wills Moody defaults in the third set because of back and hip pain.
1950 — Australia wins its third straight Davis Cup by beating the U.S. 4-1.
1961 — The International Hockey Hall of Fame opens in Toronto.
1972 — The New York Cosmos win the NASL championship by defeating the St. Louis Stars 2-1.
1995 — Greg Norman sinks a 66-foot chip on the first playoff hole, to capture the World Series of Golf and become the leading money winner in PGA Tour history. Norman wins $360,000 in his third tour victory this year to raise lifetime earnings to $9.49 million and overtake Tom Kite.
1997 — Carl Lewis finishes his track-and-field career anchoring star-studded team to victory in the 400-meter relay to cap the ISTAF Grand Prix meet in Berlin. The team of Olympic 100-meter champion Donovan Bailey, former world record-holder Leroy Burrell and Namibian sprint champion Frankie Fredericks, win in 38.24 seconds.
1999 — Michael Johnson shatters another world record at the world championships — this time, breaking the 400-meter mark with a time of 43.18. He cuts 0.11 seconds off the record of 43.29 set by Butch Reynolds in 1988 and ties Carl Lewis for the most gold medals at the championships with eight.
2004 — Lindsay Tarpley and Abby Wambach score as the U.S. beats Brazil 2-1, maintaining an undefeated record to win the women’s soccer gold medal at the Athens Olympics.
2011 — The Tulsa Shock snap the longest losing streak in WNBA history with a 77-75 win over the Sparks. The Shock (2-25) had 20 straight losses before Sheryl Swoopes hit a jumper with 2.9 seconds left.
2011 — Kyle Busch records his record-breaking 50th NASCAR Busch Series victory, edging teammate Joey Logano in the Food City 250 at the Bristol Motor Speedway. Busch breaks a tie with Mark Martin for the record in NASCAR’s second-tier series.
2012 — Lydia Ko wins the Canadian Women’s Open to become the youngest winner in LPGA Tour history and only the fifth amateur champion. The 15-year-old South Korean-born New Zealander closes with a 5-under 67 for a three-stroke victory over Inbee Park.
2016 — San Francisco 49ers Colin Kaepernick kneels in protest during the U.S. national anthem at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium while playing against the San Diego Chargers, objecting to racial injustice and police brutality in the U.S.
2016 — Dan Raudabaugh throws six touchdown passes and the Philadelphia Soul win their second ArenaBowl title, beating the Arizona Rattlers 56-42.
2017 — Kyle Snyder scores a late takedown of Olympic gold medalist Abdusalim Sadulaev in the deciding match, and the U.S. wins the world freestyle wrestling title for the first time in 22 years.
2017 — Floyd Mayweather Jr. stops UFC champion Conor McGregor on his feet in the 10th round in Las Vegas. The much-hyped 154-pound fight is more competitive than many expected when an unbeaten, five-division world champion boxer takes on a mixed martial artist making his pro boxing debut.
2020 — Milwaukee Bucks forfeit their NBA playoff game after the shooting of Jacob Blake, leading to the NBA postponing more games.
THIS DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1916 — Philadelphia’s Joe Bush pitched a no-hitter, to beat Cleveland 5-0.
1939 — The first major league baseball game was televised as WXBS brought their cameras to Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field for a doubleheader between the Cincinnati Reds and the Dodgers.
1947 — Brooklyn’s Dan Bankhead became the first Black pitcher in the majors. He homered in his first major-league plate appearance, but didn’t fare well on the mound. In 3 1-3 innings of relief, he gave up 10 hits and six earned runs to the Pirates. Pittsburgh won 16-3.
1962 — Minnesota’s Jack Kralick pitched a 1-0 no-hitter against the Kansas City Athletics at Metropolitan Stadium. Lenny Green drove in the Twins’ run with a sacrifice fly off Bill Fischer in the seventh inning.
1987 — Milwaukee’s Paul Molitor went 0-for-4, ending his 39-game hitting streak, and the Brewers beat the Cleveland Indians 1-0 in 10 innings on pinch-hitter Rick Manning’s RBI single. With Molitor waiting in the on-deck circle for a possible fifth at-bat, Manning singled in the game-winner.
1989—Chris Drury pitches a five-hitter and Trumbull, Conn., becomes the first American team since 1983 to capture the Little League World Series, defeating Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 5-2.
1991 — Kansas City’s Brett Saberhagen pitched a no-hitter to lead the Royals to a 7-0 win over the Chicago White Sox. Saberhagen struck out five and walked two.
1993 — Sean Burroughs, the son of former major leaguer Jeff Burroughs, pitches his second no-hitter of the Little League World Series and hits two home runs, sending defending champion Long Beach, Calif., past Bedford, N.H., 11-0 in the final of the U.S. bracket.
1999 — Randy Johnson reached 300 strikeouts in record time, notching nine in seven innings to help the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Florida Marlins 12-2. Johnson achieved the milestone in his 29th start.
2004 — Ichiro Suzuki homered in the ninth inning for his 200th hit of the season, but Seattle fell to Kansas City 7-3. Suzuki became the first player to reach 200 hits in each of his first four major league seasons.
2007 — Dalton Carriker’s home run in the bottom of the eighth gave Warner Robins, Georgia, a thrilling 3-2 victory over Tokyo to win the Little League World Series title.
2007 — Boston defeated the Chicago White Sox 11-1 to complete a four-game sweep. For the series, the Red Sox outscored Chicago 46-7. Boston scored at least 10 runs in every game of the series, which is only the fourth time that has happened in a four-game series since 1900 and the first time in the American League in 85 years.
2008 — Major League Baseball announced umpires will be allowed to check video on home run calls starting Aug. 27. Video will be used only on so-called “boundary calls,” such as determining whether fly balls went over the fence, whether potential home runs were fair or foul and whether there was fan interference on potential home runs.
2010 — Albert Pujols of St. Louis hits the 400th homer of his career, off Jordan Zimmermann of the Nationals in the 4th inning. Pujols becomes the 47th major leaguer to hit that many and is the third-youngest to do so after Alex Rodriguez and Ken Griffey Jr.
2018 — Mana Lau Kong homered to center field on the first pitch his team saw and Ka’olu Holt pitched a complete game to lead Hawaii to a 3-0 victory over South Korea in the Little League World Series championship.
2018 — Toronto’s Kendrys Morales became the seventh player in major league history to homer in at least seven consecutive games, going deep in the third inning of the Blue Jays’ 8-3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.
2018 — Matt Carpenter tied a St. Louis record with four doubles, pitcher Austin Gomber had a two-run infield single in a six-run first inning, and the Cardinals routed Colorado 12-3.
2024 — Danny Jansen becomes the first player to appear for both teams in the same game. He had started the June 26th game between the Blue Jays and Red Sox at Fenway Park as Toronto’s catcher and was at bat with an 0-1 count when the game was suspended by rain in the 2nd inning. When the game resumes today, he has since been traded to Boston, and takes over behind the plate for Reese McGuire, who has been released, while Daulton Varsho steps in as a pinch-hitter to complete the at-bat he started. Toronto eventually wins the game, 4-1, and also wins the regularly scheduled game, 7-3, as George Springer homers in both contests. The only known minor leaguer to accomplish Jansen’s feat had been Dale Holman 38 years earlier.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
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Ferguson, a second-round draft pick from Oregon, made his debut after sitting out the first two preseason games because of a hamstring injury.
Ferguson was quiet the first quarter, but in the second he got a chance to show why the Rams selected him to be the heir apparent to veteran tight end Tyler Higbee.
Lining up in the left slot, the 6-foot-5, 247-pound Ferguson broke toward the sideline and made an over-the-shoulder catch for a 33-yard gain. Ferguson, not realizing he slid out of bounds, got to his feet and ran to the end zone.
“It was a big thing for me to have that first catch and be able to stretch the field a little bit, showcase some vertical speed,” Ferguson said during the television broadcast.
A few plays later, Ferguson lined up in the right slot, caught a short pass and turned it into a 15-yard gain.
That was all coach Sean McVay and his staff needed to see.
“You feel him,” McVay told reporters in Cleveland after the game. “He’s just got a nice pace to his game. Thought it was great to be able to get him out there.”
Ferguson showed he will be a factor in a tight end group that also includes Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen.
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Katrina Vasey – Bingo Editor, The Sun
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When they chose to continue their college careers, both USC offensive lineman DJ Wingfield and UCLA wide receiver Kaedin Robinson thought the courts and NCAA had cleared the way for them to play a fifth season of football.
USC had told Wingfield as much, offering him $210,000 in NIL to join the Trojans’ offensive line. UCLA, meanwhile, offered Robinson $450,000 to be one of the Bruins’ top wideouts.
But after first seeing their waivers rejected in the spring, then suing the NCAA this summer, a U.S. District Court judge has now shut the door on either Wingfield or Robinson suiting up this fall.
Both players had hoped to prove this week in court that they were deserving of a preliminary injunction that would allow them to play out the season at USC and UCLA. Their attorneys argued that the NCAA’s Five-Year Rule, which limits athletes to four seasons in five years, violated antitrust laws by limiting athletes’ eligibility — and thus, their NIL earning potential. To block Wingfield and Robinson from playing this season, their attorneys argued, would mean causing “irreparable harm.”
But after a hearing was held for both Monday, a judge in California’s Central District court quickly rejected those claims, denying the request for injunctive relief from both players, as well as San Diego linebacker Jagger Giles.
Either could appeal the decision, but it’s unlikely that either player’s case would be heard soon enough to play the 2025 season.
Others who have challenged the NCAA’s eligibility rules in court have had inconsistent results. But in the case of Wingfield and Robinson, Judge James Selna held that the NCAA’s Five-Year Rule was not “commercial in nature” but rather a “true eligibility rule,” and therefore was not beholden to antitrust scrutiny.
Not every judge has come to the same conclusion, as a cascade of similar eligibility cases have been filed in the months since Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia won a preliminary injunction in his case against the NCAA. Pavia was granted a fifth season after challenging that the NCAA’s rule counting his junior college tenure toward his overall NCAA eligibility would unfairly limit his ability to earn NIL compensation.
The judge in Wingfield and Robinson’s case was less swayed by that argument.
“There is a subtle difference between a rule that retrains NIL compensation and a rule that limits one’s potential to negotiate a NIL agreement,” the judge wrote. “Putting aside the NIL agreements, the question of whether a player’s time has run remains in full force. The eligibility question is not tethered to the question of compensation or commercial transaction.”
In Wingfield’s case, the judge also found that the five-month delay in Wingfield requesting a temporary restraining order after being ruled ineligible in March weakened the urgency of his claims of “irreparable harm.”
Losing Wingfield will undoubtedly deal a significant blow to USC, which had been counting on Wingfield to step into a starting role along the offensive line. Without him, the Trojans will enter the season perilously thin on the interior.
Wingfield’s collegiate career began in 2019 at El Camino College, a junior college in Torrance. He left El Camino during the 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, then returned in 2021 before transferring to New Mexico in the spring of 2022.
An injury ended his first season with the Lobos before he finished a single game, but he returned to play in nine games in 2023 before transferring to Purdue, where he started along the Boilermakers’ line as a fifth-year senior in 2024.
Robinson took a similar path as Wingfield through junior college, spending one season at ASA College in Brooklyn before the pandemic, then redshirting for a season at Central Florida in 2021 before spending the next three years at Appalachian State.
Robinson was an All-Sun Belt selection at receiver last season with 53 catches for 840 yards and two touchdowns. He was expected to be one of the Bruins’ top receivers this season.
